It is common for an individual to experience motion sickness (kinetosis) when travelling in a vehicle. Motion sickness may be caused by conflict between the vestibular, visual and motor inputs sent to the brain. For example, when the vehicle is in motion and the individual is reading a book, the inner ear detects that the individual is moving but the eyes do not, which creates a conflict in the brain and can cause the individual to experience motion sickness.
Behavioral and environmental factors play a key part in causing motion sickness. For example driving style, visibility from within the vehicle and the ability to determine the direction of motion may have an effect on an individual's likelihood to experience motion sickness.
Motion sickness can affect anyone, and research has shown that there is a genetic pattern within those who are most susceptible. Women are believed to be at greater risk of suffering motion sickness compared to men, with 27.3% of women and 18.6% of men being believed to suffer from motion sickness.
When an individual is traveling in a vehicle, the type of activity undertaken by the individual may influence the signals which are sent to the brain. For example, where an individual is concentrating on their surroundings, i.e. an environment external to the vehicle, motion sickness may be less likely to occur. However, with the advent of semi- or fully autonomous vehicles, an individual travelling in a vehicle is more likely to engage in activities, such as reading, writing and/or watching visual entertainment, which can direct the concentration away from the environment external to the vehicle, and increase the risk of that individual experiencing motion sickness.
It is known to use behavioral and/or pharmacologic therapy, such as acupressure therapy and transdermal patch therapy, to alleviate the symptoms of motion sickness. However, such therapies need to be actioned by an individual and may have side effects, for example where drugs are taken.